Latest news with #WorkersFirst
Scoop
21-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Kmart Workers Secure New "Industry-Leading" Two-Year Living Wage Deal
Kmart workers are celebrating today after Workers First Union members ratified a new 2-year pay deal that includes minimum living wages after six months' service for both 2025 and 2026, union-only bonuses and more. Rudd Hughes, Deputy Secretary (Retail) at Workers First, said he believed the new agreement put Kmart workers among the highest-paid retail chain workers in the country. "We're extremely proud of our Kmart bargaining team and hopeful that this new agreement sets a standard in the retail industry that other big brands are paying attention to," said Mr Hughes. "We started negotiations with the company talking about the CPI and "clawbacks" of previous entitlements, but due to the efforts of our dedicated group of Kmart workers on the bargaining team, we've ended with an industry-leading agreement that includes a progressive living wage for two years and a generous union-only bonus." Of the more than 1,110 Workers First members at Kmart, 96% voted to ratify the new collective agreement in a series of store-by-store meetings over the last three weeks. The agreement includes the new living wage of $28.95 per hour after six months' service from September 2025, increasing to the living wage for 2026/27 the following year, union-only bonuses of $500 for full-time workers, $350 for part-time workers and $200 for casual workers, an improved pathway from casual to permanent employment, and an increase to safety and medical footwear reimbursements. For Tarsh Sullivan, a coordinator from Kmart Te Rapa who was part of the bargaining team, the new agreement is a "huge win" for workers. "The union-only bonus is a big deal for a lot of the younger workers because it shows them why we're in a union and what you can do when you stick together," said Ms Sullivan. "We were also really happy to lock in a better pathway for casual workers to get into full-time employment, because you can get stuck there in retail jobs sometimes." "The future is unpredictable, especially under this Government. I'm happy that we're making progress and moving forward with this deal - we know it's not the same for all retail workers at the moment." "Our goal now is to keep recruiting new union members and building momentum for next time we bargain, because we can do even better." Rudd Hughes said the Kmart deal sent a clear message to other big-box retailers like Farmers, The Warehouse and Briscoes. "Many of the other big retailers still don't believe their staff are worth a living wage," said Mr Hughes. "But Kmart has been thriving as a business because their staff are fairly paid and feel more motivated and valued by their employer." "We need to start measuring company success differently and move on from the 'infinite growth' mentality. We should be asking companies more about what their staff earn, not their CEO."
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget Must Deliver For Burnt-Out St John Workforce
Press Release – Workers First Union Ambulance officers who work for Hato Hone St John say this week's Budget must include real funding to improve pay and conditions or the Government risks driving more experienced paramedics offshore or back into industrial action. Last week, ambulance delegates from across Aotearoa gathered in Auckland for a Workers First conference (photo above) as the group prepares to enter bargaining again with the partially charity-funded ambulance provider. They also discussed their growing concerns about a workforce crisis that is being made worse by insufficient public health funding. Faye McCann, Workers First National Ambulance Coordinator, said that this year's Budget marks the final year of a four-year ambulance funding agreement, and last year's negotiations had failed to substantially lift wages, address penal rates that are significantly lower than comparable health professions, or deliver the infrastructure needed to keep the service functioning successfully while meeting growing patient demand. 'We can't keep plugging holes with goodwill and expecting ambulance officers to carry the cost of a broken system,' said Ms McCann. 'Ambulance staff are already burnt out, understaffed, and responding to more mental health and high-risk incidents than ever before. It's getting worse, especially in Auckland, where short staffing is at crisis levels even as the population grows and demand rises.' 'Officers are leaving for Australia because the pay is better, the infrastructure is better, and the workload is safer. We're losing people we can't afford to lose.' Ms McCann said ambulance officers were dismayed that last year's Budget failed to fulfil the National Party and New Zealand First's coalition promise to increase the proportion of Government funding for the country's ambulance services. 'When it comes to the Treaty Principles Bill or other dodgy political priorities, the coalition agreement framework between parties is treated like it's enshrined in law – but when it comes to funding emergency services, that promise is suddenly a 'nice-to-have',' said Ms McCann. She warned that unless this Budget delivers real improvements, ambulance officers could be forced back into the same impossible bargaining position as last year, when St John repeated that they couldn't improve wages and conditions without additional Government funding. 'Some funding eventually came, but only after a national strike and a drawn-out, behind-closed-doors process that no one wants to repeat,' said Ms McCann. 'We're calling on the Government to fund ambulance services properly so that St John can offer decent wages, fair conditions, and a service that New Zealanders can actually rely on.' 'Cuts to the broader health budget, or a failure to meet growing cost pressures and rising demand, will mean ambulance officers are the ones bearing the brunt of underfunding, and patients will be worse off for it.' 'Ambulance services cannot be the casualty of another austerity Budget from this Government.' Ms McCann said that Workers First ambulance officers' ultimate goal remained the full operational funding of emergency health services, and she believed that services like St John and Wellington Free fully supported that aim.
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget Must Deliver For Burnt-Out St John Workforce
Press Release – Workers First Union She warned that unless this Budget delivers real improvements, ambulance officers could be forced back into the same impossible bargaining position as last year, when St John repeated that they couldnt improve wages and conditions without additional … Ambulance officers who work for Hato Hone St John say this week's Budget must include real funding to improve pay and conditions or the Government risks driving more experienced paramedics offshore or back into industrial action. Last week, ambulance delegates from across Aotearoa gathered in Auckland for a Workers First conference (photo above) as the group prepares to enter bargaining again with the partially charity-funded ambulance provider. They also discussed their growing concerns about a workforce crisis that is being made worse by insufficient public health funding. Faye McCann, Workers First National Ambulance Coordinator, said that this year's Budget marks the final year of a four-year ambulance funding agreement, and last year's negotiations had failed to substantially lift wages, address penal rates that are significantly lower than comparable health professions, or deliver the infrastructure needed to keep the service functioning successfully while meeting growing patient demand. 'We can't keep plugging holes with goodwill and expecting ambulance officers to carry the cost of a broken system,' said Ms McCann. 'Ambulance staff are already burnt out, understaffed, and responding to more mental health and high-risk incidents than ever before. It's getting worse, especially in Auckland, where short staffing is at crisis levels even as the population grows and demand rises.' 'Officers are leaving for Australia because the pay is better, the infrastructure is better, and the workload is safer. We're losing people we can't afford to lose.' Ms McCann said ambulance officers were dismayed that last year's Budget failed to fulfil the National Party and New Zealand First's coalition promise to increase the proportion of Government funding for the country's ambulance services. 'When it comes to the Treaty Principles Bill or other dodgy political priorities, the coalition agreement framework between parties is treated like it's enshrined in law – but when it comes to funding emergency services, that promise is suddenly a 'nice-to-have',' said Ms McCann. She warned that unless this Budget delivers real improvements, ambulance officers could be forced back into the same impossible bargaining position as last year, when St John repeated that they couldn't improve wages and conditions without additional Government funding. 'Some funding eventually came, but only after a national strike and a drawn-out, behind-closed-doors process that no one wants to repeat,' said Ms McCann. 'We're calling on the Government to fund ambulance services properly so that St John can offer decent wages, fair conditions, and a service that New Zealanders can actually rely on.' 'Cuts to the broader health budget, or a failure to meet growing cost pressures and rising demand, will mean ambulance officers are the ones bearing the brunt of underfunding, and patients will be worse off for it.' 'Ambulance services cannot be the casualty of another austerity Budget from this Government.' Ms McCann said that Workers First ambulance officers' ultimate goal remained the full operational funding of emergency health services, and she believed that services like St John and Wellington Free fully supported that aim.
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget Must Deliver For Burnt-Out St John Workforce
Ambulance officers who work for Hato Hone St John say this week's Budget must include real funding to improve pay and conditions or the Government risks driving more experienced paramedics offshore or back into industrial action. Last week, ambulance delegates from across Aotearoa gathered in Auckland for a Workers First conference (photo above) as the group prepares to enter bargaining again with the partially charity-funded ambulance provider. They also discussed their growing concerns about a workforce crisis that is being made worse by insufficient public health funding. Faye McCann, Workers First National Ambulance Coordinator, said that this year's Budget marks the final year of a four-year ambulance funding agreement, and last year's negotiations had failed to substantially lift wages, address penal rates that are significantly lower than comparable health professions, or deliver the infrastructure needed to keep the service functioning successfully while meeting growing patient demand. "We can't keep plugging holes with goodwill and expecting ambulance officers to carry the cost of a broken system," said Ms McCann. "Ambulance staff are already burnt out, understaffed, and responding to more mental health and high-risk incidents than ever before. It's getting worse, especially in Auckland, where short staffing is at crisis levels even as the population grows and demand rises." "Officers are leaving for Australia because the pay is better, the infrastructure is better, and the workload is safer. We're losing people we can't afford to lose." Ms McCann said ambulance officers were dismayed that last year's Budget failed to fulfil the National Party and New Zealand First's coalition promise to increase the proportion of Government funding for the country's ambulance services. "When it comes to the Treaty Principles Bill or other dodgy political priorities, the coalition agreement framework between parties is treated like it's enshrined in law - but when it comes to funding emergency services, that promise is suddenly a 'nice-to-have'," said Ms McCann. She warned that unless this Budget delivers real improvements, ambulance officers could be forced back into the same impossible bargaining position as last year, when St John repeated that they couldn't improve wages and conditions without additional Government funding. "Some funding eventually came, but only after a national strike and a drawn-out, behind-closed-doors process that no one wants to repeat," said Ms McCann. "We're calling on the Government to fund ambulance services properly so that St John can offer decent wages, fair conditions, and a service that New Zealanders can actually rely on." "Cuts to the broader health budget, or a failure to meet growing cost pressures and rising demand, will mean ambulance officers are the ones bearing the brunt of underfunding, and patients will be worse off for it." "Ambulance services cannot be the casualty of another austerity Budget from this Government." Ms McCann said that Workers First ambulance officers' ultimate goal remained the full operational funding of emergency health services, and she believed that services like St John and Wellington Free fully supported that aim.
Cision Canada
09-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
SEIU HEALTHCARE RECIPIENT OF $2 MILLION FROM THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO TO SUPPORT ITS WORKERSFIRST PLATFORM
RICHMOND HILL, ON, May 9, 2025 /CNW/ - The Province of Ontario, through the Skills Development Fund (SDF), has awarded $2 million to the union's innovative technology platform, WorkersFirst, which is part of SEIU Healthcare's first-of-its-kind union-led healthcare training centre. Through this funding, healthcare workers will have new opportunities for continuous education and learning to improve upon their existing skills. The funding will also support a pro-worker alternative to the problem of costly agencies, which better responds to staffing needs while simultaneously improving patient outcomes. SEIU is committed to creating opportunities for healthcare workers to reclaim the quality and dignity of work. "WorkersFirst is a union-made platform that fills the gaps in the delivery of care while putting profits back in the pockets of healthcare workers. It's our solution to temporary agencies that exploit workers and cost more but deliver less. I want to thank Minister Piccini and the government of Ontario for investing in our union's innovation." – Tyler Downey, President, SEIU Healthcare "Governments, unions and employers are stronger when working together. That's why our government is proud to support SEIU as they invest in Ontario's skilled, world-class workers. Through the Skills Development Fund, we are ensuring that PSWs, RPNs and RNs receive the training required to build a stronger, more resilient healthcare workforce." - David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. "The Ontario Government, through the Skills Development Fund, has helped WorkersFirst Technologies and SEIU Healthcare take a huge step forward in modernizing training for frontline healthcare professionals. This investment accelerates the use of our technology platform with enhanced staffing solutions, delivering better prepared workers in the workplace and a higher quality of care for patients across the province." – Anish Makim, Co-founder, WorkersFirst Technologies "WorkersFirst has given me access to more shifts, put money in my pockets and provided me with great benefits. A platform that is truly for workers by workers." – Zenebework Geribo, Personal Support Worker
